Revival of strategic dialogue with US sought

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir on Thursday said intelligence and military cooperation with the US has been suspended after suspension of US military assistance to Pakistan. According to Radio Pakistan, Dastagir emphasised for the revival of US strategic dialogue with Pakistan to achieve the targets. He cautioned the US against adopting a threatening attitude against Pakistan as the latter has fulfilled its due responsibilities in the war against terror.

Talking about the achievements made by Pakistan, he said al-Qaeda was eliminated in the region due to Pakistan’s cooperation with the US. “Pakistan will continue efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region,” he said.

Meanwhile, talking to an American newspaper, Dastagir said the US suspension of security aid to Pakistan has weakened the war on terror in the region. On January 5, the Trump administration suspended security assistance to Pakistan linking its restoration with Islamabad’s decisive action against all the terrorist groups.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert told a news briefing that suspension was not a permanent cutoff at this time and did not effect the civilian aid to Pakistan. She said the security assistance will be frozen, but not canceled, as the United States continued to hope that Pakistan will take a decisive action against the terrorist and militant groups destabilising the region and targeting US personnel.

The US official said the suspension included foreign military financing that funds purchases of US military hardware, training and services, and coalition support fund for counter-terrorism operations.